Patrick Michaelyan's Discussions

Hello Pros.I have a client for whom I'm about to engage in stage 3 of improving the comfort in his home.One of my partner contractors is recommending vinyl siding with 3/8" integral insulation.My…Continue

Good morning pros!I am bidding on a basement renovation of a two story brick home in Arlington, VA. The first story is partially below grade. The foundation walls are CMU construction.Here are some…Continue

Hello Pros.I have been reading up on the use of closed-cell foam applied to brick (foundation) walls.I live and do business in northern Virginia, where we have a heating dominated climate with hot…Continue

Hello pros!I have done much reading on the subject and am still in need of a final round of feedback on using foil-faced polysio board as a weather-resistive barrier (WRB).I completed a project over…Continue

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Hello Pros.I have a client for whom I'm about to engage in stage 3 of improving the comfort in his home.One of my partner contractors is recommending vinyl siding with 3/8" integral insulation.My question is this: is this approach similar to employing continuous rigid exterior insulation. My guess is no.He is recommending wrapping the walls then installing this vinyl siding product.Thanks in advance!See More

"Don,
I'd like to ask you specifically about your comments on putting the structure at great risk when the exterior R-value is low relative to cavity R-value.
I tore out the plaster and lath in my old house a couple of years ago. I then…"

"Casey,
Time frame for relocating is late spring to early summer. I am considering both counties you listed, and will have to think about this within the framework of my personal goal of living in Charleston.
Give me the executive summary for what…"

"The observation about rot is important. I agree.
One of my complaints with some of the proposed insulated vinyl sidings - is the suggest simply putting it over the top of the existing siding. I believe BSC and one of the national…"

"Keeping air from getting into the wall assembly is important - so answer to your question air barrier will help. Keep in mind that WRB's are not necessarily air barriers. As you know, water generally gets into a wall more readily in…"

"You might want to check out BSC (Joe Lstiburek) perfect wall assembly
As for builders & new construction - that would be the prescriptive path where it is required - choosing the UA or performance path you can go with less (or none like is…"

"Todd,
I've heard much said about this over the years.
Quite frankly, my understanding of this concept is shaky.
In VA, the recommendation was an R-value of at least R-5 for exterior rigid insulation. Yet, I see builders opt for R-2.5 to R-3…"

"If you are using Hardie on a building, James Hardie recently released a note that says in the near future new installations using their product WILL require at least a 3/8 air gap for the drainage plane."

"Interesting, in that I had a "heated" discussion at the Seattle Home Show about a week ago with a distributor of a vinyl siding product that had insulation. While I personally would avoid the product, he did make a valid point…"

"If you must eliminate the drainage plane, you might consider using one of the WRB's (make sure it's also an air barrier) that are designed to 'hold out' the siding -- Tyvek Stucco Wrap, or Benjamin Obdyke…"

"Thank you all for your input. It confirms my suspicions.
I had originally recommended removing the existing vinyl siding, then wrapping the walls with Tyvek, flashing the windows, sealing the window rough openings, and installing a 3/4" layer…"

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